Joe Flacco Reveals Why he Re-Signed With Bengals in Free Agency

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) runs for the sideline after throwing a pick-six to New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) in the second quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joe Flacco Reveals Why he Re-Signed With Bengals in Free Agency

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Apr 21, 2026 6:35 AM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

The Cincinnati Bengals have had a lot of their focus on upgrading the defense this offseason, including most recently with Dexter Lawrence. They've added a lot of talent after losing players like Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai, among others, in the early stages of free agency. But the Bengals targeted some additions on offense, too.

Notably, the Bengals re-signed quarterback Joe Flacco to be their backup quarterback.

But the process wasn't easy. Flacco believed he could start on multiple teams around the league, but he didn't get the attention in free agency that he should have. When asked about it, he revealed why he ended up back in the Queen City with the Bengals.

Joe Flacco Reveals Why He Re-Signed With Bengals

Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

"It's not like I didn't have opportunities. At the end of the day, I felt like I made a decision that was best for me and my family and what my gut was telling me and all that," Flacco said. "It wasn't like I just had to make the decision to go back to Cincinnati. I gladly made that decision. But at the same time, I think you always feel that way as a competitor. You want to be the guy, and when you don't really feel like you're given as many opportunities as you would like.

"Of course, you're going to feel a certain way about it. But, you know, listen, I kind of said that half serious, half joking. You know, I was serious for sure. But, you know, like I said, I gladly made my decision to go back to Cincinnati, and I'm excited about that. So, you know, at this point, that stuff doesn't really matter."

Flacco seemingly has a chip on his shoulder, which could be the best-case scenario for the Bengals. If Burrow goes down, the Bengals will have a solid backup quarterback to man the ship until the star returns.

Flacco is also a fan favorite and a leader in the locker room. He's the epitome of what a backup quarterback should be. The Bengals struck gold by landing him on a new deal this offseason.

This article first appeared on Cincinnati Bengals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: